Analysis of Multicore CPU and GPU toward Parallelization of Total Focusing Method ultrasound reconstruction

International audienceUltrasonic imaging and reconstruction tools are commonly used to detect, identify and measure defects in different mechanical parts. Due to the complexity of the underlying physics, and due to the ever growing quantity of acquired data, computation time is becoming a limitation to the optimal inspection of a mechanical part. This article presents the performances of several implementations of a computational heavy algorithm, named Total Focusing Method, on both Graphics Processing Units (GPU) and General Purpose Processors (GPP). The scope of this study is narrowed to planar parts tested in immersion for defects. Using algorithmic simplifications and architectural optimizations, the algorithm has been drastically accelerated resulting in memory-bound implementations. On GPU, high performances can be achieved by profiting from GPU long memory transactions and from hand managed memory. Whereas on GPP, computations cost are overrun by memory access resulting in less efficient performances compared to the computing capabilities available. The following study constitutes the first step toward analyzing the target algorithm for diverse hardware in the non-destructive testing environment

Communicating climate change and health in the media

The translation of science from research to real-world change is a central goal of public health. Communication has an essential role to play in provoking a response to climate change. It must first raise awareness, make people feel involved and ultimately motivate them to take action. The goal of this research is to understand how the information related to this issue is being addressed and disseminated to different audiences-public citizens, politicians and key climate change stakeholders. Initial results show that the scientific voice struggles to globally highlight this issue to a general audience and that messages that address the topic do not meet the challenges, going from a dramatic framing to a basic adaptation framing. Communication experts can help inform scientists and policy makers on how to best share information about climate change in an engaging and motivating way. This study gives an insight about the key role of the media and communications in addressing themes relating to climate change and transmitting information to the public in order to take action

Parallelisation of image processing operators: multi-core, cell or GPU?

Cet article présente une évaluation des performances de 14 architectures actuelles : 8 processeurs généralistes, 5 GPU ainsi que le processeur Cell. L’algorithme retenu est l’opérateur de détection de points d’intérêt de Harris car représentatif des algorithmes de traitement d’images régulier bas niveau. À travers différentes transformations algorithmiques et optimisations logicielles adaptées à chaque architecture, cet article guide l’utilisateur dans le choix d’une architecture parallèle et évalue l’impact des optimisations afin d’avoir une implantation en adéquation avec l’architecture selon deux critères : le temps de calcul et la consommation énergétique.This article deals with a performance analysis of current architectures : 8 general purpose processors, 5 graphic processing units and the Cell processor. The Harris salient points detection operator has been selected as representative of low level image processing. Through the presentation of algorithmic transforms and software optimization tuned to each architecture, the goal of this paper is to guide the user in chosing a parallel architecture and to assess how different transformations impact so as to get an architecture optimized implementation for two constraints: execution time and power consumption